I Never Told You What I Do For a Living
by defiantlyneurotic
Summary: Clace. Superhero AU. Being a teenager is never easy. The homework, the relationships, the drama. But it's even harder when you have a secret identity as a masked superhero and you're saving your city from unspeakable evils in the dead of the night. Not to mention when it's on a week night.
1. Au revoir à cette vie Un accueil chaleu

**Chapter 1: Au revoir à cette vie. Un accueil chaleureux à l'autre.**

 **Summary: Clace. Superhero AU.  
Being a teenager is never easy. The homework, the relationships, the drama. But it's even harder when you have a secret identity as a masked superhero and you're saving your city from unspeakable evils in the dead of the night. Not to mention when it's on a week night. **

**HIYA! It's me SL27 with yet another TMI story. If you're looking for someone to blame for this, blame no one but the TV show Miraculous Ladybug. After all, this is where the idea for a superhero AU came from. In a few short weeks that show became my life and I am now complete ML trash. If you don't already watch it you should because it is amazing. The romance. The feelz. I can't. Sometimes you just wanna grab the chracters and shake them and scream.**

 **Butttt, since is not an ML fanfic I'll cut my rant short and let you get to the story. I'm really excited for this one guyz.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TMI or the characters but I do own their kickass alter egos.**

* * *

 _"William," Jem's soft voice pulled Will out of whatever trance he had previously been in. "You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?"_

 _Will flashed his friend a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders in what could be described as a 'Can't be helped' gesture._

 _Jem sighed, but smiled warmly. It's tomorrow, your wedding, that is what's on your mind, am I correct?"_

 _"Oh, James, how could I possible be thinking of anything else? Just think of it, tomorrow, in less than twenty-four hours, I shall be wed to the most wonderful woman in the world. The waiting, I simply cannot bear it. Soon, Tessa and I shall be starting our new life together." And Will paused as he turned his head to the side to cast a glance at his best friend. Jem sat silently, staring placidly ahead, his hands neatly folded in his lap. His brows were furrowed as if he were deep in thought._

 _"Why the sour face, James?" Will nudged his friend in the side. "I assure you, there is no need to worry. Tess and I will not forget of your existence. You may come visit our house in Wales every Sunday, and in turn, we shall be sure to drop by London every Wednesday."_

 _Jem let out a strangled laugh and smiled at Will unconvincingly. He scratched the back of his neck as he said, "oh, no, I'm not worried about that, Will. I know you will do everything you can to make sure we see one another regularly."_

 _"Then what's the matter? I know you better than you know yourself, Mr. Carstairs, and I would appreciate a straight answer."_

 _Jem shook his head, and smiled lightly. Slowly, he dipped his hand into his pocket. Jem's fist was closed around something that was attached to a silver chain. As Will watched curiously, Jem unfurled his fingers revealing a small, black dragon connected to the chain._

 _"Have you ever seen this before today, William?" Jem asked. He lifted the chain and held it in front of Will's face. Will gave a small shake of his head. "No, I can't say that I have."_

 _"Do you trust me, William?" Jem asked._

 _"With my life," Will answered immediately, giving his reply not a second thought._

 _"Good. Hold this for me," Jem dropped the dragon pendant into Will's hand. "I want you to keep that for me. Think of it as a wedding gift. It's a family heirloom but I refuse to take it."_

 _Will held it up so that the moonlight bounced off of it. "What is it? A necklace? Do you want me to give it to Tess?"_

 _"No, don't do that. It's you I'm giving it to. I don't want you to use this unless it is absolutely necessary. Whenever you feel you're in danger, use it. All you have to do is hold it and say hēilóng. It will protect you and no harm shall ever come your way."_

 _Will laughed doubtfully. "What does it do? Give me magical powers? No offense James, but you know I don't buy into that cachu."_

 _"Will, you'll find out, I promise. I just- I can't tell you. I won't. I don't want you to ever find out what that pendant can do. My mother and father lost their lives over that. I can't keep it, and I would never put this burden on you, but William, I just can't."_

 _Will's face sobered up at his friend's obvious distress and he wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulder. "No, no, I get it James. Whatever this thing is, it's dangerous, but somehow it's also meant to protect people. I won't use it unless I have to. Don't worry."_

 _James heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Will. You have no idea how much this means to me. I don't plan to have children, but I know you do. It's a family heirloom and I trust you to uphold that tradition. Someday, that pendant will be used, and that power will be used to fight a great evil. A Herondale will go down in history. And when that day comes, I wish I will not be alive."_

 _Curiosity peaked by Jem's words, Will returned to his house that night, restless. And against Jem's words, he muttered that word he was taught and was amazed by what happened next._

* * *

Present Day

"I think this is really it Clary. The year I finally tell Isabelle Sophia Lightwood my true feelings and she realizes her undying love for me. I can feel it deep within my bones."

Clary nodded her head, unimpressed. "Uh-huh. What makes this year different from all the other years? You didn't get any better looking. You didn't gain any muscles. Literally nothing has changed. Unless your a secret superhero. Are you a secret superhero?"

Simon get a dreamy look on his face as he sighed. "Oh how I wish. But no. Isabelle loves people for who they are on the inside. Looks mean nothing to her."

"Oh don't delude yourself into believing that, Si. Every guy Isabelle has ever- dated? I don't know what to call it. But yeah, any guy Isabelle has shown a shred of interest in has had a nice body, and a handsome face. Not to say you're not cute, but cute isn't exactly what Izzy is looking for. Now tell me again she's not shallow like that."

"Nothing you can say can ever stop me from believing that one day Isabelle will return my feeling," Simon said. He pushed his glasses further up his nose in an indignant fashion.

"Aw, I'm just poking fun. You know I'll always be Sizzy's number one fan."

Clary wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him against her side. "New school year." Her fingers ran up and down the side of Simon's rib cage, trying to elicit a laugh from her friend. "You excited?"

Clary had hardly finished her sentence before Simon made an odd, strangled noise in the back of his throat. Clary's tilted her head to the side to ask if he was alright, but before she could he disentangled himself from her and roughly shoved her away from him. Clary stumbled, tripping over her own two feet, as she landed in the bushes. She cried out in shock.

Clary heard a string of curses fly from Simon's mouth but they stopped and an awkward squawking noise replaced it.

"It appears Rat Face isn't coming to aid you so I shall be your knight in shining armor today. Let me offer a short explanation. He saw me and was so startled by my beauty that he promptly flipped the fuck out."

And then a hand cleared away the shrubbery that blocked her view of the world. And, oh boy, did she wish she couldn't see anything but leaves and dirt, because the face looming over her belonged to the infamous Jace Herondale.

" _Oh my God_ , Jace, it's you! Get away from me! I simply cannot bear for you to see me like this!" Clary's voice was shrill as she threw her arm over her face dramatically.

"That's super cute," Jace grinned toothily at her. He reached down, gently gripping her waist, as he pulled her to her feet. "Up you go my little best friend."

Clary didn't put up a fight as Jace hauled her to her feet. "Don't call me your best friend. Simon might hear you and get jealous."

Jace shot her a smirk before spinning her around so her back was pressed against his chest. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, my dearest. After all, he seems very wrapped up with Miss Isabelle Lightwood right about now."

And Clary was not at all surprised to find that Jace's words were true. A few feet away from them stood Isabelle Lightwood and Simon Lewis. Simon was scratching the back of his neck, his bag abandoned by his feet. Isabelle was nodding her head as he said something to her as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger.

"Oh my- are they flirting?" Clary blanched, leaning forward slightly. "Kill me now. Well, I guess this does explain why I was shoved into the plants. The earth and I are one now and- hey. What are you doing, Herondale?!"

While she had been ranting, Jace had begun combing his fingers through her unruly hair. Clary would be lying if she said it didn't fell nice, but it was weird and over-stepping boundaries.

"You had a twig in your hair," Jace said, unfazed by her outburst. "I'm pretty sure it violates some dress code. I was just trying to do you a favor."

Jace withdrew his hand from her hair and Clary awkwardly took a couple steps backward. "He held up his hand, and between his thumb and index finger was indeed, a small twig.

"Ugh, Jace, help me." Clary said, as she began running her fingers through her hair. "Please tell me if you can se anymore. I refuse to show up to school looking like a crazy bush lady. I refuse, I refuse, I refuse."

Jace threw the twig over his shoulder and made a show of squinting at Clary as he rubbed his chin. "Well, from what I can see, you've got a couple leaves here and there. Your pretty Black Widow shirt has some grass stains on it. Your jeans have some dirt smudges, and there are scratches all over your freckled face and arms. Other than that though, I'd say you look absolutely beautiful."

For a split second Clary's heart stuttered and her breathing faltered. She could feel the heat as it rose to her cheeks at Jace's comment. For a moment in time, she seriously thought that Jace was being sincere, but that moment was ruined when Jace winked at her and smiled cheekily.

"Cut the crap Jace," Clary mumbled. She tugged angrily at a strand of her curly hair. "I'm honestly not in the mood and you're not helping."

"Ah, I'm sorry. C'mon, we'll ask Isabelle to help you. Maybe she can work her magic and make you somewhat presentable."

Jace made a move to grab her wrist but Clary saw this, and spun out of his reach. Jace chuckled at her anitcs and led the way to Isabelle and Simon. Isabelle caught sight of them first and she smiled and waved merrily. She brushed past Simon to embrace Clary.

"Clary!" Isabelle exclaimed in her ear, and Clary winced.

"Hi Isabelle," Clary forced a smile that came out more like a grimace. "How are you?"

Isabelle flashed her a dazzling smile in response and pulled away. Her eyes raked up and down Clary's small body. Her brows furrowed in confusion and Clary felt her lips curl into an awkward and embarrassed smile.

"Clary, you have leaves in your hair. While bold, I do not believe that it is the best fashion statement to be making. What happened?"

Clary laughed and gestured to the plants behind her. "I kind of fell. Except, I didn't fall so much as I tripped over my own two feet."

Behind Isabelle Simon got a sheepish expression on his face and Clary rolled her eyes at him.

"Tripped over your own two feet, huh. I thought we had gotten past the clumsy stage of your life last year."

"As did I, Izzy. As did I."

Jace smothered a laugh beside her, and Clary jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Let's noty tattle on Simon and ruin their moment," Clary hissed under her breath.

Isabelle wrapped her arm around her shoulder and led her in the direction of the school. "Well, c'mon then. Let's get inside the building and then we can clean you up inside the girl's bathroom. You'll be fine once I work my magic on you."

"Oh! Jace!" Clary said and spun aroung before they could get very far. "My book bag was abandoned in the shrubbery. Can you bring it for me? Thank you!"

That left Jace and Simon standing abandoned on the sidewalk.

"Sure, like I don't have anywhere to be," Jace grumbled, as he trudged back over to where Clary landed. Simon, unsure as to where he should go, picked up his own bag and gazed around. Jace walked back up to him.

"C'mon Lewis," Jace bumped his shoulder with his as he walked past. "Let's go find some hot girls to chat up in the halls."

"I- er. . . Ah, whatever, alright."

Simon took off after him.

* * *

A lone figure standing in the dark, nothing but the moonlight to illuminate his features. Out of costume for the whole world to see the real him. Years and years of fighting had hardly aged him and he looked as young as ever. Not what the public would assume of him. The man lifted his gaze to the stars and gave a small wistful smile.

"Memphis, how I wish I could dwell in these parts forever," he whispered to the sky.

He could feel it though. That familiar pull in his heart signaling it was time he move on from this particular life he had created for himself. It was time for him to make new friends and defeat the evil that threatened his world this time. Years of doing this and it still didn't hurt less. His father, he wasn't sure if he would be ashamed or proud. Probably the former. Weakness, becoming attatched to humans. Alll things he would most likely frown upon. The man couldn't bring himself to care though.

He knew he was doing good by saving these people. It didn't matter that they would never know his true face. It didn't matter that they would never realize the danger he was keeping them from. He lifted his hand into the air and willed the magic to course through his fingers. This would be the last time this certain city had magic fall over them in a long time. And it was a shame that they wouldn't even remember it.

He turned his back to the buildings and let a small smile grace his lips.

"Time for a new adventure me, myself, and I. I'm pretty sure we're up for the challenge. Au revoir à cette vie. Un accueil chaleureux à l'autre."

* * *

 **Alright, so ideas guyz. I honestly have not figured out where this story is taking place. I mean, I think if the characters lived in Maryland or Virginia it'd be cool to have scenes at Washington DC and maybe some run-ins with the president. But then New York because like the lights and the city that never sleeps thing they got going on. But then I can also picture some epic fights going down in Washington state at the Space Needle. So yeah, I need ur guyz help. There shall be a poll on my profile and you can vote on it.**

 **Also, guessing game. Who do you think the superheroes are going to be? You have been introduced to the main protagonists (and 2 are _very_ obvious) And I shall not tell you how many ppl will have powers so y'know that'll be fun to figure out. And I figure if you get them all right I'll owe you something special. Also feel free to guess their names. **

**Short chapter I know, but no need to worry. Future chapters, I assure you, shall not be as short as this one.**

 **So yeah. Until next time.**

 **Peace, guyz.**

 **~SL27**


	2. Anywhere But Here

**Chapter 2: Anywhere but Here**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own The Mortal Instruments or the characters.**

* * *

"So, where are you from? I was born in New York but after my mom and dad got a divorce we moved here. Personally I wanted to stay with dad but my mom was kind of insistent on having her children so he relented and we visit him on vacations. That happened about three years ago, and since then I've really grown to like it here. At first I thought it would be horrible. Virginia may be a stretch from the city that never sleeps, but the people here manage to grow on you. So, you're from where now?"

Magnus smiled. "I'm from Memphis, but I've been lived in plenty of places. London, Shanghai, Paris, Z-".

Isabelle cut him off, her whole face lighting up in excitement. "Paris? _The_ Paris? Fashion capital of the world, Paris? Oh my God, you have to tell me all about it! What was it like? Did you have fun? How were the people? Did you pick up any French while there? How long ago was your trip there?"

"It was a while ago, and yes, I went to _The_ Paris. It was quite extraordinary, and I met some nice people."

"What were you doing there?" Isabelle asked.

Magnus smiled conspiratorially at her and lowered his voice. "Saving the world in spandex. I was a superhero that went by the name the Magician. But that was about sixty years ago. Since then I've been living in Memphis creating a new image for myself. I stopped petty robberies and caught murderers. It was more or less a superhero vacation for me."

Isabelle stopped for a second, and looked at him unsurely. Magnus was sure for that split second she believed him. And then a smile broke out across her face and she let out a loud laugh. "Uh-huh. I'll entertain you for a while but then you'll have to talk to Simon and Clary, they're the real superhero nerds. So tell me, what brings you to Manassas? Did you get a lead that Green Goblin was in town?"

"Puh-lease. Everybody knows that the Green Goblin is in Spider Man's universe. Not to mention he's a fictional character. I happen to be the real deal."

Magnus was grinning at her and he could tell that Isabelle was getting into it too. She pushed herself off the wall she was leaning against and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, Monsieur Magician, I think you should just pack your bags and head back to little ol' Memphis. Everybody knows that there's only one hero in these parts of town and that's _moi_. Eternity's the name and if you don't want your entire existence to be erased I'd suggest you'd get on your broom stick now."

"Eternity. Eternity's a Marvel character but I'll cut you some slack," Magnus mused. He stretched out his hand, palm facing up and asked Isabelle, "well Little Miss Eternity, can you do this?" And in his hand sprouted three small, pink flowers. Isabelle gasped and leaned closer.

"Wow," she breathed. "That is so cool. How'd you do that?"

Magnus winked and dropped the flowers into her hand. "I told you, I've lived a lot of places. With all that moving and that early language barrier, you learn a few tricks to impress people."

"Yes, but how? That was just, out of thin air. Simply amazing."

"I told you, I'm the Magician, and as you should know, a magician never reveals his secrets."

Isabelle huffed, and let the flowers fall to the floor. Magnus watched them fall, amazed by their subtle movements as they moved closer and closer to the ground. It was strange to be fascinated by this. But as the years passed and became decades, and those decades turned into centuries, Magnus found himself infatuated with the smallest of things. The way the flames of a fire flickered and engulfed one another, and died down, just to roar back to life in one spark. He was enamored with the waves at the beach. Infatuated with the way the tress caught the breeze. He loved it all.

"So, out of all the places you've seen, which was were your favorite and where do you want to be right now?"

Magnus didn't answer. He couldn't answer. Memphis was the only real place he'd actually seen. The other times he'd been too busy trying to save those cities to actually take it all in and appreciate them for all they were. So, no, he could not answer the first half of the question but the second question, Magnus did have a reply. A reply that he knew she wouldn't like. 'Anywhere but here', he wanted to say. Not because he didn't like it so far, but because he couldn't like it. He wasn't going to have time to like it.

He was allowed to have friends in Memphis. He was allowed to appreciate the simplest of things in Memphis, because Memphis wasn't important. Nothing bigger than life threatened the city. Virginia was a different story altogether. Instead of speaking his mind and voicing all these thoughts, Magnus offered a small grin and said, "I liked it better when I lived in hell with my dad."

And then he patted her on the shoulder and made up an excuse of going to find his homeroom. But he didn't miss the girl that walked out of the bathroom, clutching a hand to her head. He saw the power that radiated from her body and he narrowed his eyes. She was so small, Magnus felt that if he went up against her in a fight he could easily snap her in half. But the power her body gave off, it wasn't plausible. She couldn't have been human, that much he was sure of.

"Either I just found a partner for my job, or this is going to be an extremely tough foe to face."

* * *

Clary looked ridiculous, that much she was sure of. She was standing in front of the full-length mirror in the girl's bathroom, inspecting her reflection with a slight look of disgust. Her nose was wrinkled in distaste, and her hands were on her hips. She twisted about trying to rest her eyes upon every angle.

Of course the article of clothing Isabelle had in her book bag was a dress. It certainly wasn't an ugly dress. Actually, even Clary had to admit it was rather pretty. It just didn't look pretty on her.

The dress was silver, and Clary was sure it would have looked wonderful on Isabelle. The fair color of her skin and midnight hair going well with the color of the dress, but on Clary who had freckles all over her arms and face, and fiery red hair, it looked a bit strange. It ended just above her knees, and Clary didn't really have a problem with the length. She did however have a problem with how low-cut the dress was. It may have looked flattering on someone like Isabelle, but on Clary, who hardly had any breasts, it looked laughable. She looked like a little girl who had snuck into her mother's closet and was now playing dress up. (And she was still stuck in her grey sneakers because Isabelle didn't carry around extra shoes. Not like she would have worn them either way. The only shoes Isabelle owned were seven inch high heels, and one pair of black sneakers for Gym. She may not have been into fashion but she knew that sneakers and dresses didn't make the best combination.)

Clary curse under her breath. She still had leaves in her hair, she noticed. She pulled them out furiously, a few strands of hair coming with them. She stomped back to the stall she had been changing in and grumbled irritably.

"I hope Isabelle doesn't honestly believe that I'm going to wear this," she huffed as she began to tug the dress over her head. She stopped pulling on it so harshly when she remembered that this was Isabelle's and Isabelle would most definitely kill her if she ripped it.

She dropped her arms though as something in the corner of the stall caught her eye. She pulled the dress down and stared. It was a ball of light that floated in the air. Clary crossed the room to examine it closely. It was bright and fluorescent, and about the size of Clary's fist. Hesitantly she reached out tentative fingers. Her fingers were so close, until she jerked her hand back.

"Are you really going to do this, Clary?" She whispered to herself as she frowned at the light. "It could be a bomb."

But, despite her better judgment, she reached out her hand again and allowed her fingers to brush against the orb. The light flew around her head, and Clary's eyes were swiveling in her head to follow its every movement. And then the light flew straight into her chest.

Clary gasped as her fingers pulled the dress down to see if there was a mark. There wasn't a sign that the light had ever been there. Clary turned to see if it had flown through her and was still in the stall. When she couldn't see it, she threw open the stall door to check if it was in the bathroom. She couldn't find it anywhere.

Clary pursued her lips tightly together, and wondered if she was going crazy. She let out a slow breath as she retreated back in to her stall. Her book bag was thrown against the wall and she crossed the floor to sling it over her shoulder. She abandoned the idea of changing and made a quick dash for the exit.

And that was when she crumbled to her knees because of the worst headache in the history of motherfucking headaches. She craddled her head in her hands, and her brain hardly registered the pain when her knees collided with the cold, hard floor. Her head was pounding relentlessly and all Clary could do was cry out in agony every other second and hold her head and try to will away the pain.

Eventually the pain eased up in about a minute of sitting on the nasty bathroom floor. She slowly pushed herself to her feet unsteadily. Her head still hurt and it felt like her brain was on fire, but it was nothing compared to what hit her earlier. She adjusted her book bag on her shoulder and walked out of the bathroom, still holding her head in her hands.

"Aw, you look kind of cute," Isabelle cooed, taking in Clary's appearance. "What's with your head?"

"I don't know," Clary said. "It just hit me all of a sudden. It was worst than a migraine and I just-".

She staggered forward slightly before she collapsed to the floor. A boy who had been standing close to them at the time caught her just in time so that her body never hit the floor.

"Oh shit. Clary. Clary, it's the first day back to school, don't fucking pull this crap on me."

"What the hell happened?" the boy asked her.

"How the hell should I know?" Isabelle asked. She waved her arms in the air wildly and they were beginning to attract a crowd. "She was telling me something one second and the second she's being a complete drama queen and collapsing to the floor." Isabelle pressed her lips together in a thin line and looked at the boy. "Do you think she's going to be alright?"

"I don't know, but then again I'm no doctor so what I say isn't exactly trustworthy."

"Could you do me a huge favor? Could you carry her to the nurse's office. I have to call her best friend and tell him what happened."

"If I do it will you go out with me?"

"Uh, that'd be a no."

"I figured as much, but it was worth a shot."

The boy shifted Clary in his arms before he straightened his back. Isabelle smiled gratefully at him. She grabbed Clary's book bag and fished her phone out of her back pocket.

"What's your name, Good Samaritan?" Isabelle asked as she messaged Simon and then Jace.

The boy gave her a grin as his dark hair fell into his eyes. "I'm Sebastian Verlac."

"Nice to meet you, Sebastian. I'm Isabelle Lightwood."

* * *

Clary was falling. She was falling and she blacked out before she collided with the ground.

And even then she was still falling. SHe opened her mouth to cry for help but her screams were drowned out as the wind whipped around her face. She saw stars and earth and Ancient civilizations all speed past her. In reality, she was probably only falling for a minute, but she saw eons worth of history play out right before her eyes.

Her back finally collided with a hard surface. She cried out in pain even though it didn't hurt as much as it should have. She tried to catch her breath as her mind went spinning into several different directions. She squeezed her eyes shut as her hands clenched and unclenched into fists be her side.

Slowly she pried her eyes open to stare up at the sky. It was bright and blue, not a cloud in sight. Gingerly, Clary pushed herself into a sitting position and breathed in and out. She gazed around and saw that she was literally floating in the air.

Her throat was raw from screaming, but she figured another scream wouldn't hurt. It tore through her hurt and would have most likely ruptured ear drums if anyone had been in the vicinity. Clary scrambled to her feet and clutched at her chest as she spun around, taking in her surroundings.

There was nothing but the sky all around her. Beneath her feet, above her head, to her sides, nothing but that bright blue color.

"Oh my God," Clary breathed. She brought her hands up to her head and yanked wildly at her hair. "I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead. I touched that glowing white light and I died. Clary you're such an idiot. Touching the glowing white light is the biggest no-no in the book. It's freaking elementary, my dear Watson."

She buried her head in her hands as she felt burning tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes. Her breathing was ragged and she was hiccupping uncontrollably. "I can't be dead. I still have so much left to do. Suicide Squad was supposed to be coming out. And the Black Panther movie. I'm going to miss so much. I-".

 _'Hush, young child. There is no need to cry.'_

"Of course there is need to cry!" Clary shouted. "I'm fucking dead and- wait a second. Who am I talking to?"

 _'Ah, excuse my rudeness.'_

This was obviously a women's voice. But when Clary turned in a complete circle she saw no one. The voice wasn't coming from one specific direction, as if it merely existed in the air surrounding her.

A women appeared in front of her. Except she didn't actually appear to be there at all. Her body shimmered as if she was a hologram, and her features were distorted. There were some clear features Clary was able to make out. Long, ebony hair twisted into an intricate braid at the side of her head and sliver woven into it. A sliver, floor-length dress that hugged the women's curves and showed off her cleavage. What looked like a bow being held in her left hand.

She took a hesitant step back as she eyed the women eerily. "Who are you? That bullshit they call a guardian angel? Or a reaper?"

 _'I am Artemis, Goddess of the hunt and moon. And you are my latest chosen, Clarissa Fairchild.'_

"A chosen?" Clary asked. "What the hell is a chosen?"

 _'You are my latest decision as a host. It is a great honor.'_

"A host? Like a vessel? Do you wanna possess me or something? Because that is totally not fair. I'm not old enough to get an anti-possession tattoo yet."

 _'There is much to explain but very little time. Unfortunately I cannot hold this form for very long and you cannot yet gaze upon my true form. All you have to know for now is that you have been chosen by myself to host my powers.'_

"Host. . . your powers? Does that mean I'll be able to use them too? Like, a real life superhero?"

Clary was getting excited now. She was so beyond being depressed about being dead. And while the idea of talking to a Greek goddess was incredibly ridiculous and unbelievable, Clary found she wasn't questioning it as much as she should have.

Artemis was silent for a minute and Clary watched as the image flickered and disappeared for five seconds.

 _'There is a great threat to your world, Clarissa. I, like many other Gods and Goddesses exist to help the human race. I have seen many things and many people. How you choose to use these powers is solely up to you. But I must tell this is not something to make a game out of. Your faith, beliefs, and morals shall be tested while you remain one of the Select. There have been many people before you to be chosen by myself. I have seen some fail and I have seen some strive. This is not meant to be taken lightly. I trust you, you have to understand that. But I cannot inhabit your body if you refuse my offer right now._

 _'You have to understand the risk of accepting my offer. Your life will be put in danger and I cannot assure you that you will come out of this experience unscathed. I am sure you have many questions for me at this point but you will have to ask me them later. Right now, you must decide whether or not to take me up on this offer.'_

"So there may be potential death in my future, is what you're saying."

"Yes."

"And there's also some big threat to my world that is really bad, but I can prevent it, right?"

"If you accept, yes."

Clary let a tentative smile cross her lips. Maybe she was still shaken from the thought that she was dead earlier, because she showed no hesitation when she answered with a confident, "Let's do this."

* * *

Jace fiddle with the small black dragon pendant around his neck. He was worried about Clary. He toyed with the idea of transforming and sneaking into the nurse's office, but then there was a possibility of being caught. He had not gone this long without being seen by the public just to blow it all now. So he squashed that idea quickly as he listened to Isabelle drone on.

"I just, I feel so bad for her, you know? First she fell into a bush and then she fainted. Poor girl has already been through hell and the school year technically hasn't even started yet."

Jace nodded his head in agreement. They were seated outside of the nurse's office on the little plastic chairs that definitely weren't big enough for high school kids. Alec and a new kid were there too, and Simon was the only one not sitting. He took to pacing the length of the narrow hallway.

"Sit down right now Lewis or I'll throw this at your head," Jace said, resting his hand on one of the chairs.

Simon looked like he was about to tell Jace off. He thought better of it though and heaved a great sigh. He slumped down against the opposite wall.

I'm just worried, that's all. What if something is seriously wrong with her? She could be on her deathbed in there."

"I'm sure that if it were serious they would have called her parents or the hospital. I had a friend down in Memphis, his name was Travis Kedel. One day-".

Simon and Jace turned to the sound of the unrecognizable voice. Jace hadn't been paying attention when Alec and his new friend arrived so he had yet to see him. What Jace saw nearly gave Jace a heart attack. Violet, pink, emerald, sky blue, lime green, bright yellow, orange, fiery red, deep blue. Spiked hair, tight yellow jeans, an ugly fuchsia top. Glitter everywhere.

"Holy shit," Jace and Simon breathed in unison.

* * *

 **(do you guyz actually read these long ass paragraphs at the end of stories? i know i do but do u guyz?)**

 **Hi. So, it's been a while. I probably should have mentioned this first chapter but updates on this story are going to be sporadic and random. Just when I have time to write. I'm working on rewriting The Broken Road, and writing chapters for my other story To the End. And To the End is my number one priority this summer, so my superhero Au is gonna have to take a beck seat to that. But if you do want Clace in your life you should totally go and check out the other story I was talking about To the End. It's good, I purr-omise. (Wrong fandom. Not cat puns here but I'm gonna make a fucking cat pun goddammit.)**

 **Question: If you were a superhero what would your name be and what powers would you have?**

 **(I am Jace's superhero)**


	3. Standing Here Alone

**Ohohoh. So, it's been a while. xD**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own TMI. -Dances.-**

 **Chapter: Standing Here Alone**

* * *

A little more than three weeks had passed for Clary with absolutely no word from Artemis. Clary was even starting to wonder if she had just made up the entire encounter with the Greek goddess. According to Isabelle she hadn't hit her head on anything. Some "very handsome boy" had caught her before she could. She still could have been dreaming though. Except, it hadn't felt like a dream. And thinking about it now, it still didn't feel like a dream. Her mind had never created something so grand like that before. Kids often had their imagination run away from them, but if there was one thing about Clary that she considered her greatest flaw, it was that despite being an artist, she had a very limited imagination. Which was how she reasoned that the dream was real.

There was a new kid. His name was Magnus Bane. It didn't take long for him to insert himself into Clary's inner circle of friends, consisting of Simon, Isabelle, Jace, and Alec. She liked him. He was nice enough. He often went out of his way to talk to her, and he sat as close as possible to her in all the classes they shared. Isabelle had even gone so far as to suggest that he was developing a crush on her. 'He's not gay, he's bi,' Isabelle would inform her with a nudge and a wink. And while she was flattered by the attention, Clary doubted that was actually the case. Though she did catch him watching her often. At first when he was caught, he'd flick his eyes away quickly and pretend it never happened. However now, he'd grin impishly at her and hold eye contact until she looked away. Clary figured it was because it happened so often there was no point in denying it anymore.

He stared so intently at her. It was like he was waiting for something to happen. Like he was waiting for her to do something. That was what made her think that what he had for her wasn't an innocent crush. He was suspicious of her. A small part of her feared that he knew about Artemis. But how could he? He was another mortal. Unless. . . he was a Chosen himself. But the notion was so ridiculous she squashed it immediately. But was it really that ridiculous? Artemis had said there was a great threat. Surely they wouldn't send Clary into a fight she wasn't ready for with no back-up. She was thinking too much into it. First she had to figure out if Artmis was even real.

Even though Artemis hadn't attempted to contact her, and Clary had her doubts, she still had a suit made. She hadn't made it of course. She didn't know the first thing about making clothes. And it would've taken too long to learn and too much effort to make it. She had gone to see a seamstress that lived in Winchester. She had "borrowed" a pair of obnoxiously large sunglasses from Isabelle, and had thrown on a sweater so baggy, she was practically drowning in it. She'd taken a bus there and back for both trips. The woman hadn't asked any questions about the suit which Clary was grateful for. Of course, she had a bogus excuse already on the tip of her tongue. Something about a Halloween costume. The woman didn't even ask for ID. Merely a phone number so that she could contact Clary when it was ready. Clary had been hesitant, but in the end she relented.

The suit was simple. Made of spandex like Clary requested, because most of the suits in comics were made of the same material. She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to pull any of this off. Would she wear her suit under her clothes, and then rip them off when danger was present? She imagined that would get a bit messy. Would she keep them in her bookbag and then just carry that everywhere? But what if her friends got bored and decided rifling through her bag was an excellent way of passing the time? What if there wasn't somewhere to change though? And, what if she entered the bathroom as Clary and emerged as Artemis, and someone noticed? Also, what about her hair? Not many people had her token flaming red hair and tousled curls. She hadn't put much thought into these things before, but now she was overthinking it. How did superheroes in the comics pull it off? Oh wait. They were works of fiction. She was living a reality. She almost cried upon realizing that.

As soon as she got the suit she threw it in the back of her closet, tossing a pile of clean laundry over it. Just in case her mom walked in and checked her room, she'd think it was a pile of dirty clothes.

The first time anything out of the ordinary happened was when they all went out together. 'They' being the usual gang consisting of herself, Jace, Simon, Isabelle, Alec, and their latest addition, Magnus.

Isabelle threw an arm over Clary's shoulder, pulling her to her side. "So what's on the agenda for today? I'm feeling a pair of new shoes if you're up to it."

"I don't think anyone is up for that. And first things first, lunch at Taki's," another arm thrown over her shoulder. "The girl that works the counter is pretty damn hot."

Isabelle wrinkled her nose and turned her head to frown at Jace. "Do you even know her name?"

"Kayla, I think," Jace pulled Clary closer to his side.

"Kaelie," Isabelle corrected with an eye roll, releasing Clary.

"Doesn't matter. I've got the best wing-man in the entire world." Jace turned his head to face Clary, sending her a heavy wink. He was met with silence and a blank stare? It took her a good second to realize that he was implying that she was his wing-man.

Clary snorted, ducking out from under his arm. "Can't you just be your own wing-man? I mean, you always have been before."

Jace tapped her forehead. "What was the longest relationship I've ever been in?"

Clary didn't bother swatting his hand away. "I don't know. Why would I know that?"

Clary hadn't been friends with Jace all that long, so she was able to justify her not knowing. It was a rather recent thing, their friendship. They had lived in the same city together for years, gone to the same schools, and lived within walking distance of one another. Despite this, they'd had minimal contact with each other growing up, seeing as they ran in two different social circles. Clary had one best friend, that being Simon, and a couple kids she sat near in classes that she really didn't classify as friends. Those kids were just as socially awkward as her and Simon. On the weekends, when kids their age were going to school dances and making out behind the bleachers, they were huddled in someone's basement, engaged in a heated Pokémon card game tournament.

Jace was the complete opposite. As expected he belonged to the "in" crowd. (Clary sort of hated the term popular. Technically, she had been popular her entire youth. Nerd boys naturally flocked to her which was somewhat irritating, yet still endearing.) Their paths never really crossed that much. It wasn't that they didn't now each other. You went to school with someone for ten years, and you eventually learned of them. Their face and their name and such. They'd exchange pleasantries in the halls and in the classroom, and when it was required of them, they would work on projects together, but they had never really been all that close.

This all changed when the Lightwodd siblings stumbled into their lives. Alec Lightwood was timid, reserved, and a little self-concious. Isabelle Lightwood was the polar opposite, loud, out-going, with immense confidence in herself. The friendships had completely flip-flopped. Based on logic, a socially awkward Alec Lightwood should have belonged to Clary and Simon's small friend group, while Isabelle Lightwood should have naturally been allured by the glamor of the "in" crowd. Except that wasn't exactly what happened. Isabelle had plopped down next to Clary in Pre-AP World History all those years ago, and Alec and Jace had gotten paired up for a Biology project. And that had been the start of what was probably one of the oddest, yet still somehow greatest group of friends in the complete history of friendship.

"Well, I'll tell you this; it was three weeks, and way back in the fifth grade. Since then, if you haven't noticed, relationships haven't always been in my favor. I guess I haven't been the greatest wing-man for myself." Jace scratched the back of his head, smirking lazily at her. "Summer flings and drunk party hook-ups I've got covered. But this time around, I think I'm looking for something a bit more long-term."

"Long term, huh?" Alec, who had been walking a couple paces ahead of them with Magnus and Simon, turned upon hearing those words. Simon and Magnus mimicked Alec, stopping in their tracks and angling their heads to look back at them.

"Long term?" Simon repeated, grinning at Jace. "I didn't think that was the Jace Herondale style."

Jace rolled his eyes. "And I didn't think liking a girl who was completely out of your league was the Simon Lewis style."

Simon appeard momentarily frazzled, his eyes widening behind his glasses. He raised his hands in front of his chest, almost like he was getting ready to make frantic gestures. Within a split second of raising them, he lowered them with a huff and a roll of his own eyes. "Liking girls completely out of my league? That has always been the Simon Lewis style. And I accept that and rock it. I have low self-esteem, but I own it."

Jace let out a small laugh, shaking his head in the process. "You're an idiot, rat face." Though there was no real bite in his words.

There was a sort of tension that had been slowly but surely melting between Simon and Jace. Simon had always deeply disliked Jace, even before they ever talked. "Pretty face, ugly personality, no doubt about it." Simon had always joked about his low self-esteem, but Clary figured that Simon's distaste for the boy really did stem from his deep insecurity. That, and Jace teased Simon constantly. Simon was the typical high school nerd, and Jace was the stereotypical high school jerk. Their relationship wasn't one of snapping glasses, or slapping books out of hands in a crowded hallway. Merely light teasing at Simon's expense. (You would never get her to admit it aloud, but Clary did find some of Jace's jokes about Simon funny.)

Simon had not been thrilled about spending so much time with Jace in the beginning. Jace had been rather indifferent. Even now, Simon's hostility towards Jace would flare. But Clary could tell that the two boys were slowly growing on each other, and sooner rather than later, the two would be good friends.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing, Kaelie's definitely not the girl for a long term relationship," Isabelle said, cutting her eyes to Jace.

They were nearing Taki's now. Clary could make out the small diner a few buildings ahead of the crowded shopping center they were walking through.

"Maybe you're right, Isabelle." Jace's voice snapped Clary's attention back to him. "Hey Clary. You wouldn't happen to know of any single girls in our area that would be interested in being in a relationship with Adnois personified?" The suggestive tone in his voice sent shivers of pleasure down her back that she adamantly refued to acknowledge. If her recall was correct, while doing her research on Artemis, she had read that in one myth, Artemis had sent a wild boar to kill Adonis. She smirked to herself at that.

She scoffed haughtily and pushed at his arm. "You are so full of yourelf."

"Pfft," Jace grinned at her. "You love me for it."

"I. Do. Not," Clary huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not yet you don't. But you will, don't worry." Jace flashed her a wink which she returned with a scowl, fighting off a small smile that desperately wanted to cross her face.

At that moment, something rammed roughly into the back of Clary's shoulder, sending her stumbling harshly into Jace's side. She let out a sharp cry, more from the shock of the impact, rather than the pain caused by it. Jace's arm wound its way protectively around her waist, pulling her against him. Clary whipped her head around to find who had run into her. The person hadn't even spared her a second glance, leaving Clary to wonder if they had done it intentionally. Tousled raven locks sat atop the head of the man who had run into her. She imagined he would be handsome, but she could only admire his nice physique from behind. From an artist's perspective, of course. As an artist, she knew a nicely sculpted body when she saw one. However, as a person, she was too utterly pissed to find him attractive in that very moment.

"Hey!" Clary shouted angrily after the man. He knew he must have heard her. The people around him turned to glance at her. "An apology would have been nice!"

Beside her, Jace let out a low whistle. "That woman sure was fine. I wonder if she'd be into younger guys."

Clary's lower lip curled in disgust at Jace's comment. She wrestled her way out of Jace's grip after that. Her eyes lingered on the man only a second longer before he disappeared in the swarm of people on the sidewalk, in the shopping center. She glowered at Jace. "You're such a pig, you know. Flirting with me and then commenting on the attractiveness of another woman not even a minute later. And no, I'm not jealoous, just disgusted. Besides. . . what woman were you talking about?" Jace blinked down at her. "The woman who just bumped into you, Shrimp."

Clary sent him a bewildered look, figuring he was just messing with her. She shook her head. "You're crazy."

"Hey~!" Isabelle shouted from ahead of them. Clary lifted her head to find Isabelle leaning against the open door of Taki's, her arms crossed over her chest. "Let's get a move on, why don't we. I plan to spend hours shopping and I can't do that on an empty stomach!"

* * *

They sat, all six of them crammed into a decently sized booth if seating four people, in the very back of Taki's. Clary sat squished against the wall, directly across from Magnus, and next to Clary who was still highly irritated and annoyed with the guy who had ran into her earlier. Not even an apology, or any words of ackowledgement. She was also sightly- no, very- pissed at Jace who was still insisting upon messing with her. 'I didn't see her face, but damn, that ass sure as hell made up for it.' 'Perfectly toned and creamy legs that went on for miles, exposed by those shorts. 'And that hair. Beautiful, straight, and blonde that seemed to flow perfectly behind her. How could I ask for more?'

(Her hands had involuntarily clenched into tight fists on her lap as she heard Jace speak of the obviously fictional women. But it wasn't just that. Her face wasn't ugly, nor was it breath-taking, and having the body of a thirteen year old boy sure as hell didn't make up for it. Being a few inches shorter than 5'4 meant that she didn't have legs that went on for miles. She didn't even have legs that went on for yards. And her fiery red mess of tangled hair definitely did not classify as straight and blonde. But she wasn't upset. Not at all. Not in the slightest.)

"You're alright, Clary?" Magnus asked, his eyes roaming her face.

"I'm fine," Clary said, giving him a slightly forced smile.

'Nothing. . . Strange happened as of recently?" Magnus asked, choosing his words carefully. His eyes narrowed as he continued studying her face.

Clary cast a careful glance to her side. taking notice of how nobody seemed to hear Magnus' strange question, too caught up in their own conversations. She was worried. Did he know about Artemis? But then again. how could he possibly know about Artemis? Maybe he was the great evil Artemis had warned her about. . . . No, he couldn't be. He was Magnus. Fun, sparkly, totally acting suspicious right now, Magnus.

"No, nothing strange." She let out a laugh that sounded far too strained even to her own ears. "I'm just, a little aggravated, I guess. Some jerk bumped into me earlier and he didn't even bother apologizing."

"He?" Magnus raised a brow. The corners of his lips quirked up slightly. "I was under the impression it was a she from Jace. A hot she at that."

Clary scoffed, unable to keep the irritaion out of her voice. "Oh, it was a he, no doubt about it."

Magnus blinked, his small smile turning into a full-blown one. "And that doesn't classify as strange to you? That fact that you saw a man and Jace saw a woman?"

"Pfft, it's nothing. Jace is just being a jerk as usual."

Magnus opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by screams. Clary's head snapped up at a break-neck pace, alarmed by the sheer terror and shrillness emanating from the the far back corner of Taki's there were no windows which Clary was gratful for as she watched and heard the windows shatter at the front of the diner. With a cry or her own, Clary grabbed Simon's hand and dragged him with her as she dove under the table. Simon bumped his forhead against the edge of the table, but Clary wasn't all that concerned about a minor concussion he may have been suffering from at the moment.

Just then the table bagan shaking violently and all of Taki's began shaking violently and Clary listened as trays, plates, silverware, and things of the like clattered to the floor. It only lasted for a second however.

 _"What the hell?!"_ Clary screamed at Simon. She wondered if he heard her. She could hardly hear herself over all the things shattering and the screams of pure horror. _"What the hell is going on?!"_

Simon's eyes were wide and frightened behind his glasses. He shook his head frantically back and forth to communicate he had no idea. Clary's hands were shaking so hard she balled them into fists clecnhed so tightly that her nails dug into her skin, drawing blood. She ignored it. She coould hear her heart pounding erratically in her ears, accompanied by a distinct ringing. She tried to fgure out what could be happening. An earthquake? Earthquakes were considered foreign here, so that was probably out of the question. She didn't hear gun shots, but she also couldn't hear much over all the other sounds clouding her ears. Though, a shooting wouldn't result in shaking and falling items. So then what was left? Maybe. . . maybe a nearby explosion? Oh god. That wasn't making her feel any better.

 _"We have to get out of here right now!"_ Alec shouted.

Clary scanned the faces of everyone crammed under the table. Two faces were missing and Clary's heart began thumping even more wildly than it had before. Fear seized her heart. _"Where are Jace and Magnus?"_

"Probably already out! We have to go!"

Alec crawled out from under the table at an alarmingly quick pace considering he was on his hands and knees. Isabelle, Simon, and Clary followed closely behind. It happened in the split second that she exited Taki's and made her way out onto the sidewalk. Feeling rather responsible and protective of them, she shoved her friends out of the way and went first. Maybe it was her inner hero shining through, ready to take the initiative. Or maybe it was just her desire to prove to her friends that she was brave and not afraid in compromising circumstances. People shoved and jostled her roughly in their haste to run away. The buildings across the street were ablaze, engulfed in vibrant flames, burning and caving in on themselves. She screamed without realizing.

She had stumbled with the crowd, moving in contradicting directions. She had been pushed away from the entrance of Taki's and consequently her friends as well. She was jostled into the street, not to far from the lage fire. It was at that exact moment her clumsiness kicked in, and she manage to trip over her own foot, sending her onto the ground. Her elbows landed first, and she could feel the pain that shot throguh her body. It wasn't unbearable, and brought her back to her childhood when she fell off so many bikes. Being trampled wasn't a present fear in her mind, nobody was as close to the builings as she was at that point. She was glad to know everybody had common sense and wasn't trying to play hero. She crwaled to her feet, ignoring the blood dripping down her arms. . . only to be tackled to the gound mere seconds later by a black blur that came shooting at her from the sky. Her back slammed into the ground, her eyes shutting own their own accord with the impact.

Her hands automatically floated up to wrap around the upper half of the balck blur, her hands finding purchase with . . . shoulders. Her eyes shot open, and were met with a pair of gold, lizard-like eyes staring back at her.

"Hi-".

The blur flattened his body against hers, rolling them a couple inches away, before he (She decided with his low voice, and the feel of his body beneath her skin, the blur was a guy.) scooped her small body into his arms with relative ease, and began sprinting with inhuman speed, it was like he was practically flying.

"Idiot girl," he murmured into her hair as he ran. She clinged tighter. "Why didn't you hide. You could've-. Why didn't you just hide? I gave up everything fo you just now." He laughed, though his voice held no humor.

He stopped running soon enough, though Clary knew they were far. He stopped in the back of a sleazy motel, which she guessed was to avoid prying eyes. Everybody was gathered out front, watching and listen to the emergency vehicles as they blared by. She could see why he would want to hide. He wasn't human. His eyes told her that much. He set her down, but left his hands on her hips. In turn, she kept her hands clenched tightly onto his shoulders. It was strange. Here she was, taking comfort in a masked man who was literally dressed in something a superhero would be weraing. Her brain was too tired to really question it though.

"Is this the part where you kiss me for saving your life?" he asked, raising one gloved hand to rest on her shoulder.

"Do you want it to be that part?" Clary asked. She was amazed with herself. Her voice was steady and she was still able to joke considering the day's events.

"More than anything." He took a step closer to her, and Clary was able to appreciate how tall he was compared to her. He was, maybe, a couple inches shy of an entire foot on her.

"Tell me your name and I'll think about it." She stood on her tip toes.

"Tell me your name." He countered.

"Clarissa. Call me Clary even though I'll probably never see you again."

"Doubtable. And you can just address me as your personal knight in shining armor."

"Your name."

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you my name."

". . . Are you going to kiss me?"

"Are you opposed to the idea?"

"Not entirely, no."

He laughed, loud and carefree. She smiled widely at him. He shook his head. "Aren't you something else entirely?"

"Aren't I?"

"Just close your eyes Clary."

She did as told.

"Count to sixty and then you can open them."

"Start now?"

"Not quite."

She opened her mouth to question when, but never got that far as a light pressure was added to her lips. It took a moment for her to realize he was actually kissing her. And she was quickly overwhelmed with the urge to kiss him back. But the kiss was over before it really even started, and her self-proclaimed knight in shining armor was pulling away.

"Start now."

"You never told me your name."

"Are you counting?"

She counted to sixty. Her counting might have been rushed but her eyes shot open and she was left alone in the small clearing behind the motel.

"You never told me your name!" She shouted over the sirens in the background.

* * *

'Was he there?'

"Oh he was there alright. He was with a couple of pretty little things."

'Oooh, Not getting distracted there, are you _Prince_?'

"One of them saw me. Or, at least what he wanted to see. I could feel him practically lusting after me."

'Stick to your job.'

"No fun?"

'. . . Do you need me to relieve me of your duty?'

"No, stay put you jackass. I've got this."

The line went dead. An arm swept out, knocking over a bowl, sending into shattering into a hundred pieces over the hardwood floor. The person tugged a hood over their head, carefully stepping over the dead body on the floor. They didn't bother trying to avoid all the splattered blood.

"A superhero and a warlock." The person turned to face the room one last time, before flicking off the light switch. "Who would have thought?"

* * *

 **So, exams have started. I took my writing one first and, let's just say I might have flunked. My writing, in my opinion, was rather eloquent and composed, but my ideas were scatter brained and I don't think the paper flowed as a whole. -Sigh.- I won't know my score until the end of the year though.**

 **Also, I've recently gotten back into talking to strangers online and roleplaying with them so. . . that's been a fun way to take up my time. I haven't realized how much I've missed it really. Roleplaying, that is. And, making online friends as well. :']**

 **Also, my best friend thinks it's okay to make me have an existential crisis, like no, who gave you permission. He's just like "Oh, I'm going to miss you and we're going to different high schools." (He's transferring.) It doesn't help he doesn't have a phone, and I'm not big on social media. Andit'snotlikewehavefictionalchildrentogethernope.**

 **So, d'ya get those hints dropped in this chapter? If you think you did, feel free to leave a review. The villain(s) are slowly taking the stage. Any guesses as to who it may be? And anything you'd like to possibly see happen? This is a magic/superhero au. Anything could happen. -Nudge nudge.- -wink wink.-**

 **Let me know by dropping a review.**


	4. Lost In Everything She Trusts

**I'm in the business of looking for a beta sooooo. ;]**

 **Chapter: Lost In Everything She Trusts**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own The Mortal Instruments, but ya' better believe I own my superhero OC's.**

* * *

Clary was huddled in the back of the classroom, her, Jace, Isabelle and Magnus hunched over their table, all staring intently at the small screen of Isabelle's phone. It was the day after the fire in the shopping center. She had collapsed on the couch when she got home. Her mom and her mom's boyfriend, Luke Garroway, hadn't heard anything about the fire at that point, and Clary decided against telling them right away. Before she hauled herself up the stairs and into her room, she informed her parents. They hadn't been overly concerned. A little peeved that she hadn't told them earlier, but overall happy that she was alright. She'd turned on the TV before she crawled into bed. In the early hours of the morning, Clary was woken by breaking news, alerting her that the police had come to the conclusion that the fire was intentional and was caused by an explosive device that they had yet to recover. That had sent shivers down her spine, and she purposefully shut off the TV before the reporter could announce the death toll and the amount of people that had been injured.

Isabelle and Simon had been blowing up her phone, demanding to know what had happened to her. She wasn't sure if she could keep her voice from cracking if she returned their calls. So with shaky fingers, Clary sent a message to Simon. The message stated something along the lines of her being fine, she was heading home because she was exhausted so there was nothing to worry about, and to pass the message along to Isabelle and everybody else. Before she shut off her phone, she called Jace. Clary was annoyed with herself as soon as her fingers dialed his number. She was closer to Isabelle and Simon. She wouldn't talk to them, but she would talk to Jace. She reasoned it was because she hadn't seen him after the fire and in all the confusion. Jace didn't answer his phone after three calls and Clary gave up after that. So when she walked into homeroom the next morning, she surprised herself by throwing her arms around Jace, wrapping him in a tight embrace. (Clary did the same with Magnus, but she knew that she clung to Jace much longer than she did Magnus.)

"You didn't answer any of my texts," Isabelle huffed, pulling Clary into a one-armed hug when she was finished with Magnus. "If you had, you would have known they were alright."

Clary turned to scowl at Jace. "Well, I tried to call Jace, but he wouldn't answer."

Jace frowned at her. "Sorry. I lost my phone and when I found it, it was trashed. No one that thing could be fixed. I need to buy a new one."

"Anyways," Clary turned back to Isabelle. "I turned my phone off after that. Didn't Si tell you that I was fine?"

"Oh yeah, Si told me. That still didn't mean that I didn't want to talk to you. Do you even know what happened to you yesterday?"

Clary made her way to the very back corner of the classroom. As usual, they were the first students in the class. Other kids preferred to mingle out in the crowded halls before the bell rang, while the four of them took comfort in the empty and quiet room. Clary slid into her seat at the table, Jace sliding directly into the seat beside her. Isabelle flopped into the seat opposite of Clary and eyed her carefully. "What was that little disappearing act of yours? You ran out of Taki's and when we followed you out, you were gone."

Clary's eyes widened a fraction. How had she not thought of this? Of course Isabelle would ask question about what had happened to her. Clary could have constructed the perfect lie in all the hours between. Now, she had to think on her feet. "Well-".

"A superhero," Isabelle gave her no time at all to answer when she cut her off briskly. She slid her phone across the table and Clary stopped it with her hands. "You literally got rescued by a fucking superhero. It's all over the internet, and the only thing anyone can talk about."

It was in that moment Clary was glad no one else was in the classroom. If what Isabelle was saying was true, she wasn't interested in what would be curious stares from her classmates.

"Isabelle, don't be ridiculous." Her laugh sounded strained to even her own ears. She wondered if Isabelle could hear how nervous she sounded.

"Just watch the video, Clary."

Curious, Jace leaned over Clary's shoulder to watch, and Magnus leaned forward in his seat as well. She could smell Jace's cologne from his close proximity. She turned her head to shoot him a look of disbelief, but he kept his eyes train on Isabelle's phone, adamant about not meeting her gaze. Isabelle realized Clary wasn't going to press play on her own, so with a huff, she stuck out her finger and pressed play for her.

The hand holding the recording device was shaky. This alerted Clary that the video was amateur footage. The image on the screen was a large, black blur. Clary began to open her mouth, to tell Isabelle that there was obviously nothing there, and why in the hell was she being forced to watch this. However, as soon as she began to speak, the image began to clear ever so slightly. Clary could see now that what she had initially thought was a blur was an actual figure. Distinctive features were hard to make out though. She could clearly see an outline, and the longer she stared, the more she could make out. But there was still the constant black smoke swirling around his body, engulfing his figure in it. Within a second, the figure had her wrapped securely in his arms, cradling her protectively against her chest. Clary relaxed though, knowing no one would be able to tell it was her by the mere back of her head. . . Though, her hair might have been a dead giveaway.

"The video cuts off after that. I've watched it enough times to-".

"He has an awfully nice bone structure," Clary murmured, cutting Isabelle off. She had rewound the video and paused it at the moment the fog shifted enough so she was able to make out the mask that covered his face. There was no doubt. That was her hero.

"How can you tell?" Jace asked, a large frown on his face. He snatched the phone from her hand and squinted at the screen. He still didn't back out of her personal space though. "There's nothing there to see."

"Yes there is. You can clearly make out his jawline, and the cheekbones beneath the mask."

"No way," Isabelle said, taking back her phone. "I literally spent the whole night studying every second of that video. I know I didn't miss something as significant as that."

"Well, half his face is hidden by a mask, but you can still clearly tell as plain as day that he's handsome."

Magnus was squinting at the screen of Isabelle's phone. He looked to be having immense difficulty making out the facial features as well. Clary could practically see the gears working in his brain. Slowly, his eyes lifted to meet her gaze. Confusion was etched onto his face. His eyes then shifted to Jace, and she imagined they shared a bewildered look, referring to her.

Clary turned to Jace. "Can't you. . . Can't you see it?" Clary asked, trying to keep the trembling note out of her voice. Maybe her friends were pretending on purpose. Maybe they were being jerks to her on purpose, and merely playing what they thought to be a funny joke on her. Or maybe, her mind was just playing tricks on her. . . again.

"I-I've got to go," Clary mumbled kicking her chair back and standing up. "Bathroom." Clary tripped over her bookbag that rested by her feet. She tumbled slightly as she looked at it. She hadn't remembered bringing it into the class. Perhaps that fainting incident a couple weeks ago had done more to her than she had thought.

* * *

Magnus watched as Clary left the room, great interest clouding his features. Jace and Isabelle's expression were ones more of concern. They began whispering to one another as other kids began steadily pouring into the classroom. He drowned out their conversation. Clary truly was nothing like he had expected.

He had come to know a lot of people in all the years he had been alive. He'd learned a thing or two about the human race. He had been deceived more than his fair share of times. A liar was becoming easier and easier to spot, to the point where someone could merely open their mouth and Magnus could tell if they were going to be truthful about the words that followed. And Clary was either an extremely gifted actress attributed to her supernatural aura, or she was completely clueless and had no idea what she was, or what she was capable of. Truth be told, Magnus didn't even know what she was, or what she was capable of.

She wasn't human, Magnus concluded after weeks of careful studying and keen observations. Or at least she wasn't completely human, like himself. And that other boy. . .

He had been a real surprise. One Magnus wasn't expecting and one that he wasn't sure he was ready for. Virginia was catching him off guard too early in the game, his head already spinning in too many directions. Maybe his skills were a bit rusty. Between trying to figure out who or what Clary was, who or what was threatening this state, and the new problem of this new mysterious player, it was safe to say that Magnus would be lucky if he managed to scrape by all his classes with a C- this semester around.

To say he was irritated with himself was probably the understatement of the year. He was barely passing any of his classes. He didn't really care much about grades when the world was on the line, but it was another thing to beat himself up over. He was pissed he couldn't make out the boy's features by seeing through the black mist like Clary obviously could. He was ultimately failing at what he came here to do, which was to fight some grand evil he knew nothing about.

With a frustrated sigh and a hand fisted tightly in his hair, he spun away from the computer screen he had been focused on, allowing the chair he was seated in to spin around in circles. School had ended more than a few hours ago. He was watching footage and news coverage and reading all the articles he could find in regards to the fire, now deemed explosion, in the shopping center a day ago. But why and by who was still a part of the missing evidence. Slowly he dragged his hand down the length of his face. Maybe it was just him. Maybe he was losing his touch. He couldn't figure out anything these days. Perhaps, he mused, that he'd been at this too long. Maybe he just needed a good vacation. If only someone was able to take his place.

"Chairman Meow."

Magnus slapped his hands against the arm rests of the chair, pushed down, and hopped to his feet. He crossed the small bedroom in a few long strides and threw open the door leading to the hallway in a overexaggerated flourish. His cat, Chairman Meow, a loyal and comforting companion, jumped violently from his position lounging on the bed as the door banged against the wall. He ran after him. Magnus passed the kitchen where the Chinese food he had ordered sat untouched and probably now cold on the countertop. He entered the living room, and Chairman Meow hopped onto the couch and eyed his owner lazily. Magnus grabbed his coat that was draped over the crappy television and shrugged it on briskly.

As he passed by him, Magnus ran his hand through the cat's fur.

"I'm going out," Magnus informed the small feline. "Don't wait up for me."

* * *

"Alec is going to be so utterly pissed off when he finds out," Simon whispered, ignoring the cold breeze that sent shivers down his spine and had him shaking violently. He prayed his pretty companion didn't notice. Isabelle, said pretty companion, didn't seem to, as she continued on, his hand clasped firmly in hers. "He's going to pummel me. I'm going to be left a shell of a man. A shadow of my former self. I'll live in a coma for the rest of my life. I'll never love, I'll never have kids, I'll never be the best man at Clary and Jace's wedding. Can you live with that guilt weighing down on your shoulders for the rest of your life? Can you?"

"Shut up, Si, and calm down while you're at it," Isabelle said, raising the flashlight a little higher above her head. She paused in her steps. She spun the flashlight around so that it was illuminating the area behind him. He could see the grin on her face as she glanced over her shoulder to look at him. "You're with Isabelle Lightwood tonight which means there's no need to worry over such frivolous things. I'll have you know I'm an expert at this."

They started moving again, their path lit by the bright light of Isabelle's flashlight. "You're an expert at sneaking into crime scenes in the dead of the night?" Asked Simon dubiously. "Or an expert at sneaking around with boys, and having your brother not find out?"

Though he had his doubts, Simon knew not to put anything past Isabelle Lightwood. She was a definite force to be reckoned with. Determined, sassy, witty, with stunning beauty added into the equation didn't hurt one bit with the amazing outcome. Did it hurt Simon's chances with the girl in question? Probably. But he could learn to live with that. As long as Isabelle Lightwood was happy, then Simon Lewis would be happy, and that's all there was to it.

He wasn't deluding himself. He had never deluded himself. He was in love with Isabelle Lightwood, and it was as simple as that. . . Except, it really wasn't that simple in the slightest. Nothing about his feelings for the vibrant young girl were fabricated in any way, and he was certain that he would travel to the ends of the earth for her if she asked. He'd do just about anything for her. And she was either painfully ignorant of this fact or she was saving him the embarrassment of rejecting him, because she knew he would never be able to live it down.

"Well, I'd say I'm a little skilled in both areas," she angled her head once again to look at him. She sent him a wink that he could hardly make out in the dark. The effect, however, was fairly obvious. His toes curled, his heart clenched, and his brain was sent spiraling into hundreds of different of directions. "I think I'd make a fairly excellent spy. My new career path. Just think of it, Isabelle Lightwood, Undercover Agent, and Simon Lewis Masked Superhero. We could have an illicit love affair. . ."

Ah, superheroes. Somehow Simon knew at some point in the night, the conversation would lead back to superheroes. Growing up, he'd fallen In love with the fictional comic characters. He was a nerd and sure as hell proud of it. Though, nowadays, it wasn't considered as geeky to like the power-wielding superhumans.

"Just think of it. I could be the Black Widow to. . ." Isabelle paused, her brows creasing. "Who does she have better chemistry with?"

Simon didn't answer her question, unable to determine whether it was meant to be rhetorical or not. Instead he dwelled on his own thoughts. He'd always known superheroes weren't real, and neither were their powers, but oh, how could it would if they were real. He could just imagine himself. Broad-shouldered and handsome with well-defined and chiseled features. He'd swoop in with his perfectly styled hair, and cape flowing gloriously in the wind behind him. He'd save a damsel in distress, and she'd be forever grateful, and it would be a slow-burn, but by the end of their story, they couldn't help but fall madly in love with one another. (His fantasies weren't helping break gender roles, but he was unashamed.) Everyone would adore him. He'd quite literally be regarded as a hero.

Of course if there was a hero, there'd always be a villain to follow. Simon wondered if the idiot prancing around in -what he assumed to be leather- knew this or not. Simon was realistic. Obviously this man(?)- kid(?) was not and was living in whatever deluded fantasy world he had created for himself. He wasn't a real superhero. He couldn't be. It was all merely a clever trick. Wonderfully pulled of too, Simon mused. Of course, the part of him that was still clinging tightly to childhood and youth hoped more than anything that he was. And the sensible part of him hoped that somehow all the laws of logic, physics, and science had been defied. Though he knew it wasn't true and it would most regrettably never be.

Isabelle stopped suddenly. Simon was too preoccupied in his thoughts to notice. He rammed roughly into her back. They both fell forward, propelled by the momentum of his ungraceful trip which soon turned into her ungraceful trip. They crashed to the ground, Isabelle going down first, and Simon toppling onto her back. They landed by the side of one of the buildings that had suffered the most damage, though luckily it was in the grass. Isabelle's flashlight rolled out of her hand, and the offending object must have landed on its side just perfectly on the switch, because within a second, the light flickered out.

Simon heaved out a sigh, mentally cursing himself for being such a klutzy idiot. He rolled off of her quickly. _This is not the way to get a girl to fall for you, even though she did, quite literally, fall for you._ "Sorry, Iz, I-".

But Isabelle didn't hear him out. Instead she whacked him harshly against his chest and uttered a soft "shh!"

Simon paused. He opened his mouth to question her, but closed it when he heard soft voices floating out from the damaged building. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Isabelle's hand fumbled in the pitch black cloak the dark night cast over them. She gripped his shoulder, moved her hand down, placed her hand around his forearm, moved it lower yet again, and finally her slim fingers intertwined with his own. He gulped as she squeezed his hand.

"Let's go," she whispered. For a second, he assumed she had been scared off by the voices. He interpreted "let's go" as in "let's go and get out of here". But he was wrong, as he usually was. She rose to her feet first, and he followed quickly before she began pulling him towards the entrance of the building.

"Isabelle, I don't this is a good idea-". Isabelle cut him off with a harsh tug of his hand.

Simon could usually let a lot of things slide. He considered himself to be a go-with-the-flow sort of guy. He cut Isabelle a lot of slack. But this, this might be where he has to draw the line. Sneaking out of his around midnight? He was a little reluctant, but he got over it. Entering a closed off crime scene? That was pushing the limits. However, he wasn't keen on dying tonight, and walking into a building that might just collapse and cumble down around them at any given moment was a bit too much.

"Just c'mon."

. . . Didn't he say he would do just about anything for Isabelle Lightwood?

* * *

Jace was mentally kicking and berating himself the duration of the day. There was a long history tied to Black Dragon. The Herondale family only played a small part in it. Black Dragon was believed to have originated in China, moved to London, England, and was, as of recently, with Jace in America. William Herondale, one of Jace's ancestors, had kept a detailed journal, recounting his adventures as Black Dragon in great detail. According to William Herondale, he had been gifted the pendant, the source of Black Dragon's powers, by his closest friend, James Carstairs. That was the first page of the journal at least, and Jace found he was too lazy to read any more. On occasion, he would thumb through the entries when he wanted to learn more about the powers he had, or when he was bored and wanted to do a bit of light reading before bed. However, he never made it very far before he moved on to do something else.

Black Dragon had a long and intricately woven history from what he had gathered. In Chinese lore, Black Dragon was held in the highest regard, and praised. But the recounts of his existence were questioned often in modern times. He was nothing more than a living legend that no one could know about. In the possession of the Herondale's, Black Dragon worked in the shadows. And as Jace learned on his fifteenth birthday, the Herondale bloodline worked hard to keep it that way. Like a stupid kid, he'd thrown all that hard work away.

His father wasn't nearly upset as Jace would have expected him to be. Stephen Herondale looked momentarily confused as his son told him what had happened. Then he gave Jace a tired smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He told his son that it couldn't be helped, and he'd certainly done the right thing by helping. His mother, Céline Herondale, as expected was overly concerned, scanning his body thoroughly for any signs of injury. He told his parents he was fine. What he didn't tell them was why he had done it, or what he had done after it.

Jace still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he had kissed her. He, Jace Herondale, had kissed her, Clary Fray. (Well, he supposed it was technically Black Dragon that had kissed her, but in the end it didn't really matter because they were both the same person at the end of that day.) But technicalities didn't really matter because he had still kissed her. He was sort of freaking out and having a mental breakdown. He'd kept himself coolly in check when he was around her this morning. Though internally a violent war that was sure to have plenty of casualties was waging on.

He'd kissed plenty of girls before. He'd broken up with plenty of girls before. He was sure there would be girls after Clary. She really shouldn't have been any different. But somehow she was, and that was really sending him over the edge.

Though he'd composed himself and calmed his racing heart around her earlier that day, Jace didn't miss the way Clary practically sprinted from the room when she saw him on Isabelle's phone. He felt extremely scared at this point. _She had seen him._ She had actually seen his face through all the dark smoke that was meant to cloud around his body, and protect him from things just like that. Albeit, his face was covered by a mask, but it didn't make it any less unnerving. She'd broken down one magical barrier, who was to say she couldn't break down another. He'd always been told by his father that even if he was caught, most wouldn't even be able to tell what he was. People shouldn't have been able to make out anything out in the smoke, except his body shape. And then because he worked in the dark and dead of night, someone just might convince themselves that what they had seen was never there.

He should have asked his father about it earlier. He'd have to wait until he got back home now. The police had ruled that foul play had indeed been involved. A superhero always investigated, even if it amounted to be nothing more than what it clearly was. However this was personal now. All of his friends had been there, any number of them could have gotten hurt. If the world knew, or at least suspected of his existence, not much more damage could really be done now, good or bad.

Besides, everyone adored a good superhero. . . Right?

* * *

Well, this most certainly was an odd predicament to be in.

"So," the girl started, her hand resting on her hip. "Who wants to start talking?"

"Maybe the boy who waltzed into a crime scene like he owned the place," the other male in the room cut Magnus a look. "Revisiting the scene of the crime, eh? Come back to see your handy work?"

"Calm down, I'm like sixteen, and sure as hell not an arsonist, or terrorist," Magnus said, his eyes narrowed. "But maybe it should be the two kids prancing around in the costumes and masks," Magnus drawled, rising from his crouched position.

And behind the masks, Magnus watched as Clary and Jace shared an identical look, though they surely wouldn't know they were mirroring one another's expressions. Within that second Magnus realized just how complicated things were about to get. Now that he thought about it, he really did need to start wearing a mask.

* * *

 **I'm trying this new thing called being productive, but all I want to do is cry. Like, I'm taking my dog jogging with me every morning because less people are out and it makes me feel less awkward. I'm cleaning around the house. I'm trying to write at least a thousand words for any story eveyday. I'm good so far, but it's only the second day, so let's just see how long this insane idea of mine can last. :DD**

 **Anywho, if you didn't catch it at the top, I'm looking for a beta, so if anyone is offeringggggg. lololol.**


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